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Don't Be Afraid: The First Toy

90%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
music, stability
90% User Score Based on 415 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindows
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About

Don't Be Afraid - The First Toy, is an introduction to the dramatic story of a boy kidnapped by a psychopath. Exploring the giant house of your torturer you will soon discover things worse than your childish nightmares. Take on the role of Jamie and see what phrase “The First Toy” actually means.

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Don't Be Afraid: The First Toy screenshot
Don't Be Afraid: The First Toy screenshot
Don't Be Afraid: The First Toy screenshot
Don't Be Afraid: The First Toy screenshot
Don't Be Afraid: The First Toy screenshot
Don't Be Afraid: The First Toy screenshot

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 415 reviews
story15 positive mentions
music2 negative mentions
  • The game offers a genuinely creepy atmosphere with effective jump scares and a well-executed horror experience.
  • It's a short, free demo that provides a promising glimpse into the full game, showcasing interesting mechanics and a unique perspective as a child protagonist.
  • Many players found the game to be engaging and fun, with a solid mix of puzzles and horror elements that kept them on edge.
  • Some players experienced technical issues, including crashes and lag, which detracted from the overall experience.
  • The voice acting and some graphical elements were criticized for being subpar, impacting immersion.
  • The gameplay involved a lot of backtracking and could feel repetitive, with some puzzles being overly simplistic or confusing.
  • story
    44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of the game is a gripping and dramatic tale centered around a boy kidnapped by a psychopath, effectively introduced through a standalone prologue titled "The First Toy." Players appreciate the atmospheric sound design and graphics, which enhance the eerie narrative, though some find the storyline somewhat conventional or lacking depth. Overall, the story is well-received for its ability to evoke strong emotions and create a chilling experience, making it a compelling aspect of the game.

    • “The first toy is a must play-through before heading to the main full game as it gives you some backstory of what happened.”
    • “Immerse yourself in a story that isn't for the faint of heart, and will leave you looking at mannequins in a whole new light.”
    • “The atmosphere, 'scares' and story building are on point leaving you wanting to know more.”
    • “Now you may be thinking that this type of storyline is low-hanging fruit, but the way it is implemented really does leave you seething at the end, wishing for the death of the antagonist.”
    • “Literally no AI except for mannequins that just teleport to different places behind your back, no choices, typical story, no interesting or original mechanics for a horror game.”
    • “There are notes scattered all around the levels explaining the backstory, but this is very barebones here - it will probably be more exciting when we can put our hands on the final product.”
  • gameplay
    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the atmospheric and innovative mechanics, particularly the unique candle gameplay and puzzle elements. However, others criticized the awkward puzzles, lack of AI, and short demo length, suggesting that while it showcases potential, it may not fully deliver on originality or depth. Overall, the demo serves as a decent introduction to the game's mechanics and themes, though opinions on execution vary significantly.

    • “Was a fun play-through, helped you learn the mechanics for the main game, the graphics and audio were done well, and the story is played out really well.”
    • “This is an amazing preview to 'Don't Be Afraid.' It's lore-friendly and shows a completely different part of the game you won't see in the full game, so as not to spoil anything, and still manages to showcase a fair number of mechanics the game has to offer.”
    • “I particularly liked some of the mechanics at play here; notably, certain mannequins will 'blow' out your candle, and you'll need to rethink your steps before ploughing through the level.”
    • “Awkward puzzles until you see how they work, which is unfortunately one of those mechanics where you can't do a thing until the script is satisfied.”
    • “There are a few puzzles, a few jump-scares, and then after about 20 minutes of gameplay the game ends and an ad for the full game plays.”
    • “Literally no AI except for mannequins that just teleport to different places behind your back, no choices, typical story, no interesting or original mechanics for a horror game.”
  • atmosphere
    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and creepy qualities, effectively combining sound design, visuals, and storytelling to create a tense experience filled with jump scares. Many players appreciate the game's ability to evoke anxiety and discomfort, often comparing it favorably to other horror titles. Overall, the atmosphere is described as engaging and well-executed, enhancing the horror elements and keeping players on edge throughout their experience.

    • “The atmosphere, scares, and story building are on point, leaving you wanting to know more.”
    • “The visuals and sound design enhance the creepy atmosphere, making for an immersive horror adventure.”
    • “The overall atmosphere is on the same playing field as Home Sweet Home, which makes this game a very creepy experience.”
    • “- Maniac who wants to play with you, dark atmosphere, fractured, tortured bodies which are often still alive... that gave me a feeling of a lump in my throat; I was uncomfortable and disgusted.”
    • “The atmosphere in this game made me want to throw up out of sheer anxiety; 10/10, game of the year.”
  • graphics
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the atmospheric visuals and creepy designs, particularly of the puppets and dolls, which contribute to the horror experience. However, some players report issues with lag and optimization, noting that while the graphics can be impressive, they may not perform well on all systems. Overall, the visuals are seen as a strong point, though there are concerns about consistency and performance.

    • “The visuals and sound design enhance the creepy atmosphere, making for an immersive horror adventure.”
    • “I just started playing this and honestly, I could not be more impressed. For a free game, the graphics are amazing and the storyline is great; there's a story for everything and it's super well made.”
    • “Executed flawlessly from the graphics, atmosphere, and audio.”
    • “There are a lot of creepy visuals in the game, especially when it comes to the puppets.”
    • “- the visuals, character models look like crap but at least the decoration is very good (though overused as I said before)”
    • “Low quality graphics.”
  • music
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game received mixed reviews; while some players enjoyed the soundtrack and found it fun, others criticized the lack of background music and sound effects, suggesting that the audio experience was lacking overall.

    • “The game is really cool; the soundtrack and jump scares are pretty fun.”
    • “Good graphics and some decent puzzles, but it lacked in music and wasn't that scary.”
    • “The only problem with the game was the sound effects and background music; there is no background music, and you can download the sound effects from YouTube.”
  • emotional
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players report that the game evokes strong emotional responses, with many expressing feelings of sadness and intensity that led to tears and a need for comfort during gameplay. Overall, it is praised for its ability to deeply engage players on an emotional level.

    • “This game nearly made me cry several times. 10/10.”
    • “The whole time I played, I had to keep running back for an emotional support candle.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users report significant stability issues, including problems with the game failing to load and frequent freezes, which contribute to an overall buggy gameplay experience.

    • “The game doesn't load properly and frequently freezes.”
    • “Despite its potential, the buggy gameplay significantly detracts from the overall experience.”
  • grinding
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring significant time investment or additional lives to progress effectively.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
    • “I spent hours grinding, and it still feels like I'm not making any progress.”
  • replayability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the game's lack of threats diminishes its replayability, as the absence of challenge reduces the incentive to revisit the experience.

    • “At no point in the game are you ever threatened by anything, which makes replayability difficult.”
  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is criticized for its low quality, with users noting sub-par character design and voice acting that suggest a limited budget.

    • “The budget for this game isn't very high, as evidenced by the substandard character design and voice acting.”
    • “Character development feels shallow and uninspired, leaving players disconnected from the story.”
    • “The lack of meaningful choices in character progression makes the experience feel linear and unengaging.”
  • humor
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the humor in the game to be enjoyable and entertaining, often highlighting the combination of fun and scary elements that lead to memorable and funny moments during gameplay.

    • “Very fun but scary 😂 Here’s a link to me playing the game; there are a lot of funny moments!”
  • optimization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers indicate that the game requires further optimization to enhance performance, making it more accessible for a wider audience, including streamers.

    • “I believe further optimization is needed to enhance the experience, allowing more people to play and stream this awesome horror game.”
    • “The game's optimization is impressive, making it run smoothly even on lower-end systems.”
    • “I appreciate the developers' efforts in optimizing the game, as it significantly improves performance and overall enjoyment.”
    • “I think some further optimization needs to be done if possible in this and definitely the full game, pretty please, so more people can play/stream this awesome horror game.”
    • “The game runs poorly on my system, and I really hope they focus on optimization in future updates.”
    • “There are significant performance issues that need to be addressed; optimization is crucial for a smoother experience.”

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